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Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Well, the whole city's up in arms about losing the zoo. Here's Jeremy's follow-up post. I was checking out Technorati tags on the subject, and Lauren's favorite blogger wrote that she "needs to get out of this state." I am wondering if she's right? I always thought that we would live here forever, but someday we might be able to get a small apartment in Northern California to visit. Now I am starting to worry about Michigan's future. Is there a reason for young people to be here? Tearing down historic buildings and avoiding regional cooperation between the city and the suburbs is one several things, but shutting down the zoo and pink-slipping employees demonstrates that the "leadership" in Michigan, statewide, is entirely lacking vision about (re)building the kind of place we want to live in. If there was a real spirit of regional cooperation in Michigan, then the state and the city and all of the counties in the Detroit metro area would realize how important the success of any part is to the whole. In San Francisco we lived in the SF "Bay Area", and there was a strong sense of regionalism. Here it's everyone for themselves.

Maybe you're old and weighed down by historic baggage, so that approach makes sense to you. Maybe you fled the city 30 years ago, or were left behind. Maybe you feel left out, or encroached upon, but you know what? None of that old news makes a bit of difference to anyone my age. We just want a nice place to enjoy our families, have great local art and music and culture and food, and make a lot of money, so we can start foundations, and buy works from local artists, and eat local produce. And to go to the zoo. Why is that so tough to understand? At what point does the bickering end? When nothing's left to fight over? Somebody please explain to me how this is going to get better.

I checked realtor.com to see if there was any way we could go back to San Francisco, and maybe we could afford this. A 520 square foot studo in the Tenderloin sounds like the perfect place to raise a toddler. Here's where I would really like to live, but there's a sale pending. We're stuck together, Detroit, maybe we can make the best of it? I'll be waiting to hear from you.

5 comments:

Well put, Jon. This is one more example of Detroit's civic breakdown. Competent and committed municipal leaders don't let things like this happen. I don't know where this progression (regression) will ultimately lead, but it won't be pretty.

Are you near Houston? I'd think about it, but I really like my job. That's the downer, in a way - it seems like you can either have a great job with average geography, or a really stressful position someplace wonderful.

You know...its true..its everyone for himself in Detroit...isn't that awful? In Freehold, NJ, where Scott grew up, there is such a small-town, friendly, cultural atmosphere. But I don't want to live in NJ.I like Michigan.I hope this zoo things rights itself, and doesn't become a disaster.

It doesn't have to be true that Detroit is falling apart and everyone must fend for themselfs that is the entire wrong attitude. I live 20 min. from the Zoo and i belive its up to me and my freinds to help put this shit hole back together. Because it appears everyone in authority wants a new car (right, Kwame.) But do you remember Grenwich Villige New York,?? 50 years ago it looked worse than Detroit and all it took were some beatniks with inspiring attitudes, and now it is one of my favorite places in the city. Detroit is divided and I am trying to bring it together with art, music and a new generation of twentysomethings who want a new vibrant city. Please help me spread the word, it all begins with a positive influence.Peace and Love